Live From Big East Men's Tournament: FOX Sports Brings Back Pair of Live Drones for Second Year in a Row The 20+-camera complement includes robotic super-slo-mo at each free-throw line By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Friday, March 15, 2024 - 1:09 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
After making history last year at Madison Square Garden with the first in-arena live drone deployment on a college-basketball broadcast, FOX Sports is continuing to push the technological envelope at this week's Big East Men's Basketball Tournament. With two drones on hand courtesy of Beverly Hills Aerials, the FOX Sports production team is finding new ways to bring viewers inside the arena for one of college hoops' most passionate and iconic events.
Part of FOX Sports onsite production team: (from left) Carlos Gonzalez, Doug Fuchs, and David Zulauf
The Big East is very much on board with [flying the drone], says Doug Fuchs, manager, field operations, FOX Sports, so we're trying to push the limits a bit here and be even more aggressive this year. And we've been getting some cool shots that I think [viewers] are going to love.
In addition to the pair of drones, FOX's 20+-camera complement includes an extended super-slo-mo robotic camera at each free-throw line and a variety of behind-the-scenes robos and POVs to capture the action inside MSG's hallways as teams walk out to play.
Beverly Hills Aerials is flying two lightweight drones at MSG: a gimbal drone weighing less than 250 grams and powered by a 20-minute battery and a FPV drone weighing less than 100 grams with a three-minute battery providing lower, faster, more dynamic shots.
This is our second year at the Garden for the Big East tournament, says BHA Drone Operator Evan Turner. We've cut the weight of the FPV drone in half compared to last year. It not only has gotten smaller but also [delivers] better quality in comparison to last year.
Beverly Hills Aerials Drone Operator Evan Turner with the FPV drone at MSG
Operating the drone from one of the tunnels just off the court are a pilot wearing a head-mounted display; a producer, who oversees the operation and is in direct contact with the director at the front bench; and a spotter, who handles battery swaps and other logistics. As with any other aircraft, the pilot and his team must predetermine the flightpaths to ensure the safety of the thousands of fans in the stands.
With the limited battery life, says Turner, we have to work with the director and producer to be surgical about planning shots, especially for the [FPV drone]. If they want to come out of break with us, we have to coordinate very closely with them to make it work. Communication is definitely one of the biggest parts of our job because not only are we dealing with the director and trying to provide shots that they want but [we also have] to make sure all the safety and security boxes are checked.
Beverly Hills Aerials drone operators pilot a pair of drones at MSG.
With drone-camera technology continuing to advance, FOX has become more aggressive and creative in its efforts. For example, in a single shot, the FPV drone will fly just above each team coming out of the hallway onto the court and then fly around the entire arena.
That's a compelling perspective, says Fuchs. I know that our directors love it. It's very cool to come out of the hallway and then lift up that way. It's different from the look a Spidercam or Skycam gives you because [the drone has] more freedom to move. I don't think I've seen anything like that before.
Although live drones are being deployed more frequently for live sports productions these days - FOX Sports has successfully used them for NASCAR, USFL, MLB, and other events - getting the systems cleared to fly remains a heavy lift.
It takes weeks, even months, of work on the permitting for the drone with MSG, Beverly Hills Aerials, and [New York City], says Fuchs. We work with them to make sure we do everything by the book and 100% following all the rules. It has taken a long time to get to where we are, but we couldn't be more excited to have it here again.
Beyond the Drones: Robos, POVs, Testing Out New Lenses and Wireless Cameras With MSG adding new premium courtside seating, FOX nixed the RailCam system it had previously used at the Big East Tournament. Instead, it has deployed an extended super-slo-mo robotic camera at each free-throw line to capture similar looks from the floor.
NEP's Fletcher Sports is providing these systems, along with Above-the-Rim robos on both baskets and a robo in the back hallway showing teams getting ready to take the floor. FOX also has two locked-off POV cameras in the back hallways and another POV for the ref to explain officiating calls.
FOX Sports has deployed more than 20 cameras for this year's Big East Championship.
Canon has supplied a pair of new lenses to be tested out on FOX's Big East operation. FOX is also trialing a new wireless camera system featuring a Sony HDC-3500 and relying on a CP Communications LTE/CBRS private network instead of traditional RF connectivity.
Fletcher is providing several robos at MSG, including this hallway system that captures behind-the-scenes shots of team walkouts.
On the Court, In the Compound: Game, Studio Production Teams Work Side-by-Side The studio show is once again onsite for the entire tournament, with host Rob Stone and analysts Casey Jacobsen and Donny Marshall providing pre/postgame and bridge coverage. For each segment, the crew sets up a trio of tripod cameras and chairs for the talent on the court, removing it prior to play starting up again.
Game Creek Video Encore's A, B, and C units are in the MSG compound, with the game and studio-show crews operating out of independent product
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
Live From Big East Men's Tournament: FOX Sports Brings Back Pair of Live Drones for Second Year in a Row The 20+-camera complement includes robotic super-slo-mo at each free-throw line By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. 
